Buffer



G. E. DATH Nov. 28, 1950 BUFFER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1945 G.E. DATH Nov. 2s, 195o BUFFER 2- Sheets-Shet 2 Filed June 4, 1945Patented Nov. Z8, 1950 BUFFER George E. Dath, 'Mokena, Ill., assignor'toW. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJune 4, 1945, seriaiNo. 597,527

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in Abuffers for railway cars.

IOne object of the invention is to provide Ya Simple and eicient buffermechanism for railway cars comprising a spring resistance .and afriction shock absorber actuated successively to provide preliminaryspring action to absorb the lighter shocks, followed by high frictionalvresistance to take care of the heavier shocks,

Vwherein the preliminary spring is contained in f a buiing head and isbuttressed against the fricrtionshock absorber which is contained withinfa housing within which the buing head is slidinfgl'y telescoped, andwherein the bulng head Vhas-lost motion with respect to the shock ab-`so'rb'f-ar and engages and actuates the same after the springresistance has been compressed to a predetermined extent.

Yll further object of the invention is to provide ina-buffer mechanismas set forth in the preceding paragraph, simple and efcient means foranchoring the buling head to the housing and limiting outward movementof the same with respect to the housing, comprising a retaining elementextending transversely through the --fhousin-gV and buing head.

-Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims herein- -al-ter following.

'f5-is a transverse, vertical sectional View, correspondingsubstantially to the line 5 5 of Figure il, "the key of the mechanismbeing shown in elevation.

yfis shown in said drawings, my improved buffer mechanism comprisesbroadly a housing iA; a buer head B; a friction shock absorber C;'aspring resistance D; and a retaining key The housing A is 'in the formof a tubular, cylindrical shell, open at its front end and closed at'itsrear end by a vertical transverse wall I0. The wall Il) is extendedlaterally ybeyond thc sides of vthe tubular shell portion of thehousing, providing 1apair of flanges II-II for securing the housing-'tothev end of a railway car in the usual manner. The flanges II-II areprovided with suitable bolt receiving openings l2I2 and I2I`2adapted toaccommodate the Shanks ol the usual securing bolts for `fastening thehousing to the end wall of the railway car. The housing is of enlargeddiameter at its r-ear lend, as indicated at I3, and the flanges I'I-IIof the housing vare braced lby suitable reenforcing -webs III- I4 whichare integral with said lia-rages and the side walls of the portion I3 ofthe housing.

The buffer head B includes a cylindrical shell or sleeve I5 whichextends rearwardly from the buffer head proper I6, which closes thefront end Uof the shellr forming the end wall of the same.

The wall forming the buffer head .proper IS projects laterallyoutwardlyA of the cylindrical shell I5, as clearly shown inFigures -1and 4. The shell portion I5 of the builer head B is slidinglyvtel'escoped within the housing.

The vfriction shock absorber C is disposed withinthe housing A andcomprises a friction casing Il, a wedge block I8, -three friction shoes4Iq-I9--I-9, and a spring vresistance 26.

The friction casing I1 is of cylindrical shape, open at its lrear end.At the front end portion thereof, which is indicated lby 2|, the casingAis of reduced diameter, thereby providing an annular abutment shoulder'|2I, The'reduced portion Af2I is of such a 'size as to telescopically twithin the Acylindrical shell portion I5 of the Abuffer head B. yAtdiametrically opposite sides `rthereof, the walls of the reduced portionZI of the -casing are cutaway, as'indicated .at 22-22, tot'fbetweeninwardly thickened, interior, diametrically opposite wall portions 23-23at the -innerend of `the shell I5 of thebuler head, said thickened wallportions presenting hat vertical lfaces`24-2f1. The purpose of thethickened wall portions Y'Z3-$23 is to increase the strength 0f thewalls of ythe shell I5 at the point where the key E extends through theshell of the builer head. -At the 'extreme forward end portion thereof,the reduced portion `2| of the casing'll is lsuitably strengthened. Thisportion of the casing is madeof'srnaller diameter than the reducedportion 2l, as indicated at |23, and reenforced by laterally projecting,'longitudinally yextending webs 124 integral 'with the side wall of theportionI23 =and transverse end walls 25 and 26,in eiect, closingthefront end of the casing Il and fconne'ctingthe portions v23 of saidcasing with `the largeridiameter section of the reduced'portion 2l. Thetransversewa'llz serves as an abutment for the front end of the springvresista-rice 20, as hereinafter pointed out. The portion I23 of theeasing is provided with a longitudinally extending, transverselydisposed slot |26 adapted to accommodate the locking key E. At the openrear end thereof, the casing Il is provided with three interior frictionsurfaces 21-21-21 which are arranged symmetrically about the centrallongitudinal axis of the mechanism. The friction surfaces 21--27-21 arepreferably of V-shaped, transverse cross section and converge forwardlyof the mechanism. Rearwardly of the friction surfaces 2l-2`I-2l', theopen end of the casing I1 has three laterally inwardly projectingretaining lugs 28-28-28 for limiting rearward movement of the wedgeblock I8 with respect to the casing and holding the former assembledwith the latter.

The wedge block I8 is in the form of a hollow member having a nat,vertical, rear end face 29 bearing on the end wall Iii of the housing A.At the forward end thereof, the block I6 has three V-shaped wedge faces3G Eli-3o converging toward the longitudinal axis of the mechanism inforward direction.

The friction shoes IS--lS-Iii surround the wedge and are provided withV-shaped friction surfaces Si-Si-'el on their outer sides engagingrespectively the V-shaped friction surfaces 27-21-21 of the casing. Onthe inner side, each shoe i9 has a V-shaped wedge face 32 engaging thecorresponding V-shaped wedge face 30 of the wedge block I8.

The wedge block I8 is anchored to the casing by three radially extendinglugs 33-33-33 engaging respectively between adjacent friction shoes andcooperating with the lugs 28-28-28 of the casing.

The spring resistance 2G is in the form of a heavy helical coil arrangedWithin the casing I'l and interposed between the shoes IS-lS-IS and thefront end of the casing, having its front and rear ends bearingrespectively on the transverse wall 25 of the casing and the front endsof the shoes iii--l-IB.

The spring resistance D is disposed within the sleeve I5 of the bufferhead B and comprises a single helical coil having its front and rearends bearing respectively on the inner side of the front wall I6 of thesleeve l5 and the front end of the f friction casing Il of the shockabsorber C.

The key E is in the form of a bar of substantially rectangular,transverse cross section and is headed at one end, as indicated at 36.This key serves to anchor the buifer head B to the housing f the wallsof the shell l5 of the buffer head B, rf

and the slot I26 of the friction casing I1 of the shock absorber C. Asshown, the openings 35-35 are preferably reenforced by outstandingbosses 31-31. The key E is preferably secured against removal by acotter pin 3S extending through the shank or the key, at the headed endthereof, and through the corresponding boss 31. As shown most clearly inFigures l and 4, the slots 35-36 of the sleeve of the buffer head B areconsiderably longer than the slot |26 of the casing Il of the shockabsorber C, thereby permitting greater relative lengthwise movementbetween the buffer head and the key than between the friction casing I'land said key.

The capacity of the friction shock absorber C is considerably greaterthan that of the spring' D, and thus when the buffer head is forced in-Wardly of the housing, the spring D is compressed between the buder headand the friction shock absorber, which is inert due to its high capacityfrictional resistance. rI'he spring D only will thus be compressed untilthe friction shock absorber is positively actuated by thebuffer headthrough engagement of the inner end of the sleeve I5 of the buffer headwith the shoulder I2I of the casing Il.

The operation of my improved buffer mechanism is as follows: Upon inwardmovement of the buffer head B, through pressure exerted thereon by anyobject, such as a buffer head of an adjacent car, the head B is forcedinwardly of the housing A, compressing the spring D against the frictionshock absorber C, thus absorbing the lighter shocks to which themechanism is subjected. As the head B moves further inwardly of thehousing A, the inner end of the shell I5 thereof engages the annularshoulder I2| of the casing Il of the friction shock absorber, therebycompressing the latter and taking care of the heavier shocks. Upon theactauting force being reduced, the expansive action of the spring 2Q ofthe shock absorber restores all of the parts thereof to the full releaseposition shown in Figures l and 4, rearward movement of the wedge I8being limited by shouldered engagement of the lugs 33 thereof with thelugs 28 of the casing Il, ,and the expansive action of the spring Drestores the buffer head to the full release position shown fin Figuresl and 4, outward or forward movement of the buier head with respect tothe housing A being limited by the key E.

I claim:

1. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing open atthe front end and closed at the rear end; of a buffer head including asleeve slidingly telescoped within the housing, said sleeve havingaligned, diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending slots in theside walls thereof; a key extending through the .1 slots of said sleeveand having its opposite ends fixed in the housing walls, said slotsbeing closed at the rear ends to limit outward movement of the bufferhead by said key; a friction shock absorber within the housing includinga friction casing open at the rear end, friction shoes slidable withinthe open end of the casing, a Wedge block in wedging engagement withsaid shoes, said block being buttressed against the closed rear end ofthe housing, spring means opposing move.- ment of said shoes inwardly ofthe casing, said casing being longitudinally slotted to accommodate thelocking key; and a spring within the buffer head opposing relativemovement of the friction casing and head.

2. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a friction casingopen at one end and closed at the other end, said casing being movableinwardly by an actuating force being applied at said closed end thereof;of friction shoes slidingly telescoped within the open end of the casingin sliding frictional engagement therewith;v a central wedge block inwedging engagement with said shoes, said wedge block normally projectingfrom the casing and being engageable with a fixed stop; a spring withinthe casing yieldingly opposing movement of the shoes inwardly of thecasing, said casingr having a lengthwise extending slot at its closedend, the inner end wall of said slot providing a limiting shoulder; anda key fixed with respect to said stop for the Wedge and extendingthrough the slot of the casing, Number said key limiting outwardmovement of the casing 2,146,015 by engagement with said inner end wallof said 2,197,783

slot. 2,216,473

GEORGE E. DATH. 5 2,430,494

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Number meof this .pa-tent: m gg' UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS 3851417 Number Name Date1,096,120 OCOIIIIOI May 12, 1914 Name Date Hazeltine Feb. 7, 1939 BanomsApr. 23, 1940 Hobson Oct. 1, 1940 Dath Nov. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date Great Britain Aug. 16, 1925 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1925Great Britain Dec. 29, 1932

